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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24804721">See Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopefulcloud/pseuds/hopefulcloud'>hopefulcloud</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Magic, Magical Accidents, Male Friendship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:13:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24804721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopefulcloud/pseuds/hopefulcloud</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys have all had life altering, magical experiences in the span of the last two years. These experiences brought them a lot of joy and excitement that they share with each other, but they are all holding inside themselves the fears and scars of the more frightening magical experiences they have endured. They need to come together to overcome it, but will they be able to open up before it's too late?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Yeonjun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>-Yeonjun- </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Where were we? We still don’t really know. Why were we picked? I guess there was something extra special about us, or maybe it was all just random chance. Sometimes I remember it and it makes me so happy that it happened, but other times...especially lately...I just have nightmares about it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    Was this really how it had to be? </span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Yeonjun, wake up,” a cheerful voice breaks through his thoughts and he glances up to see the youngest member of his friend group leaning over him with that smile that never seems to fade. “You look like you’re sleeping with your eyes open.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Yeonjun just responded with a small smile, but he wasn’t quite finished with his thoughts, yet. Or, perhaps, his thoughts just weren’t finished with him. “What is it?” he finally asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “We’re all going to grab some ice cream before going home. You want to come, right? You’re not gonna stay late studying, are you?” Hueningkai had the cutest pout on his face, which Yeonjun could usually never object to, but he didn’t really want to leave, yet. There was something special about this school, and for some reason he just felt more comfortable here than he did in his own home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I really need to stay,” he finally said. “I haven’t done much work at all today. You guys go on ahead.” he didn’t really want this, of course not. He would love to go with them, to play with them, to laugh. But, he didn’t feel much like laughing these days. He had too much on his mind. He wondered if the others did, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai seemed absolutely unsatisfied with that answer, but before he could open his mouth another familiar figure was leaning into the classroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Kai! Come on!” he called. It was Beomgyu, with his pitch black hair and the stylish backpack slung over his shoulders. He had a cheeky smile on his face as well and was waving his hand. “Yeonjun! Hurry!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai turned towards Beomgyu and bounced on his toes, but Yeonjun just offered a smile and waved them off. “Go,” he insisted. “I can’t go today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Beomgyu seemed to lose his smile when he heard that, but he just shrugged and Hueningkai seemed to give up on persuading him after the arrival of his other friend. The two younger boys waved and hurried out, and Yeonjun felt like he was going to regret his decision to stay alone and study.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    First of all, as much as he had good marks he wasn’t all that fond of studying alone. His mind wandered too much, especially these days. He looked out the window of his classroom and saw the sun low in the sky. It was afternoon, it’d be evening soon. Darkness would cover the school grounds, and the school itself would be empty. Would another magical door open? Did he want it to open? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “No, no,” he muttered as he looked down at his notes, desperately hoping to concentrate. No, he didn’t want to go back to that magical world right now. It was beautiful, but it was also terrifying. Surviving that place had been some sort of miracle, and he didn’t want to think too much about it anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Well, he kept saying that, but his mind always had other plans for him. He wondered if any of the others felt as he did, but they never talked about it. They had just been so happy to survive and come home. What if talking about it brought back that nightmare? The train, the fire, the weird loud wind and destructive force that had almost taken them away for good. They couldn’t think about that anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Yes, him and his friends were special people with a gift for reaching magical places, but he was starting to wish it wasn’t that way. He was just so tired. Usually he lived for curiosity and exploration, but when it endangered his younger friends...no, he didn’t want to ever take that risk. He wanted to live, and he wanted them to live. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I don’t think you’re studying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Yeonjun looked over his shoulder quickly and saw Soobin standing there. Yeah,Yeonjun kind of figured he might show up to try to get him to join them. He glanced over at the doorway and saw Hueningkai, Taehyun, and Beomgyu standing there and waiting for Soobin to finish gathering the final member of their friend group to go and get ice cream. They seemed to trust in his success. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I’m studying,” Yeonjun insisted. “I’ve been too tired to study at home lately.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I know this school is a special place, but let’s just go out for a bit. You don’t have to be stuck here,” Soobin suggested. He smiled enough that his dimples showed, and Yeonjun just rolled his eyes. Should he really go? He gripped at the edges of his book, and he just wished his friends could understand him for a moment. He wanted to spend time with them, but he was just so tired. What if they were thrown into another impossible adventure? He wasn’t sure if he could take it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Come with us, come with us~” the three in the doorway chanted as though they were summoning a spell. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Why can’t you just understand me right now?” Yeonjun asked as he stood up to face Soobin and the others. Then a flash- a vision of all of them collapsed on the ground of the forest of that weird island. He had woken and saw them, he’d been afraid that he was the only one left. That fear surged through his body and he flinched, but he tried to prevent his fear from showing. He didn’t want them to know what he was haunted by.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Soobin put an arm across Yeonjun’s shoulders in a friendly, but very persuasive, way. He was going to drag his friend out of his classroom to join them on their quest for ice cream whether he wanted it or not. “Come on,” he insisted as he began walking them towards the doorway. Beomgyu, Hueningkai, and Taehyun all cheered and began running down the hallway. Yeonjun couldn’t help but smile at the scene, and Soobin seemed satisfied when he saw Yeonjun smile and released him to walk on ahead to catch up with the other three.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Yeonjun watched their backs as he walked and he wondered if any of them remembered it as he did. Or, did they just remember the fireworks and beautiful flowers and their bonfire? Did they only remember the good parts? Was it his burden to remember the end of that time? That fire in the forest, the train that ran them over? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>“I just want to be happy,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he thought as he followed them, his hands in his pockets as he finally caught up to the group. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I always want to walk alongside them, but I can’t be a burden to them. I have to take care of them. Don’t I?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Beomgyu! Tell the joke again for Yeonjun!” Hueningkai exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “No, no, it’s too cheesy,” Taehyun whined. “Please, save us all from this joke.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I think Yeonjun likes cheesy jokes!” Beomgyu laughed, but then he started whispering and conspiring with Hueningkai instead. Surely there would be something in store for the rest of them on their way to get ice cream. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Yeonjun?” Taehyun was walking at his side now. Yeonjun looked at the younger boy and offered a small smile to show he was listening. “You’re alright, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Yeonjun hummed, looking up at the ceiling as though he was genuinely thinking about it. “Of course,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I be? Are you okay?” </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>    Taehyun just smiled back and nodded. “I’m fine,” he agreed. Yeonjun was glad to hear that, and he glanced over at Soobin, but he saw a darker expression on his face as he seemed to think no one was looking at him. Yeonjun’s expression lost the smile, and he just watched with curiosity...what was he feeling? What was he thinking? He hadn’t seen such an expression on Soobin’s face before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Soobin-” he started, but then Hueningkai ran back and wrapped his arms around Soobin’s waist, trying to hide behind him as Beomgyu was now chasing him for some reason. They laughed, and Soobin resumed his normal, happy expression before scolding them on using him as a place to hide behind. Finally the two ran on ahead, exiting the school with determination. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    As they stepped out into the sunlight, Yeonjun kept glancing at Soobin as if he hoped to see that expression again. He had been mistaken? Was Soobin okay?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    He just didn’t know what to do. Days felt overwhelming now, and he wasn’t sure what to say sometimes. He would just keep an eye on them. He had to. That was his job, to protect them from whatever else this world would give them, or whatever else magic would open up to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    He knew there was something ahead for them, so why was he still so trapped in the past?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Taehyun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>-Taehyun-</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>There was something special about him and his friends. He wondered if he would have had these gifts on his own, or if they only came into play because of their friendship. He always felt like he was attached to something deeper than his own existence, but he never knew how to describe it. It was a sad, lonely feeling mostly. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    But he didn’t feel lonely anymore. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   He grinned as they ran down the hallway of their school in their regular street clothes. It was night, and they definitely weren’t supposed to be here, but they had made a plan together to play in the pool at night. Taehyun wasn’t sure where the plan had actually come from, but he remembered feeling like it was important for them to be there. Sometimes when he closed his eyes he could sense something pulling him towards destiny. Or, maybe it was nothing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>     He felt like someone would call him crazy if he ever admitted any of this out loud.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Hurry!” Soobin called in a whisper as he held the door open to the pool area. They all slipped in under his arm as he held open the door, and soon he hurried behind them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    Hueningkai was already pulling off his sweater and shoes when Taehyun jogged in behind, and he laughed at the sight of him. He certainly was drawn to the water, he got in without hesitation. Taehyun wondered if he sensed the importance of being here, too. He hoped he did. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    After he jumped in, the rest of them felt it was safe enough to join. Chaos ensued, all of them jumping in and laughing, and splashing each other. These moments were the best moments. It was just fun, and they were together, and there weren’t any questions in their minds, or confusions. They didn’t understand all the things they could see, the things other people didn’t seem to notice and the signs that drew them to strange circumstances, but they knew that the five of them had a bond that made them stronger. A bond that was perhaps magical in it of itself. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Soobin! Come on!” Taehyun shouted to him as he sat on the edge of the pool and watched them. Something had been a bit strange about Soobin lately. He seemed more quiet, perhaps more thoughtful lately. He still laughed and smiled with them, but when he took moments apart it seemed like he was just deep in thought. Taehyun remembered Soobin confiding in him that when they had been on that strange Magic Island that he had heard strange sounds right before everything went wrong. The sound had pierced his ears, and sometimes his ears hurt now, and he was afraid of ever hearing that sound again. Taehyun wondered if that’s why he was more reserved. He seemed very sensitive to the magic that followed them around.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    Soobin’s gaze seemed to be at the bottom of the pool, though, and Taehyun noticed a strange glowing door there as well. He swam over and looked down at it, and then looked up at Soobin. “Another doorway,” he whispered.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “What?” Yeonjun called out while Hueningkai sat on his shoulders. He pushed the younger boy off, causing a large splash in the pool, and then he swam over and looked down at it as well. Beomgyu and Hueningkai joined them, and finally Soobin jumped back in and they circled the mysterious doorway.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Where do you think it’ll take us?” Beomgyu asked. “We have to find out, right?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “We have to,” Yeonjun agreed. “Lemme go down first.” he pulled open the door, and then he dropped down into the strange doorway. It took a moment, but he waved for them to follow. Hueningkai was eager, and he jumped down next. Beomgyu followed, and then Taehyun did after he took one last look at Soobin. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Once they were all down in the strange forest that was hidden beneath their pool, they looked around in the darkness. “We need lights,” Taehyun said as he looked around. “Or we’ll never find our way.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Beomgyu closed his eyes and stood in place, even as the other boys looked around for matches or something to help them see their way. Then he suddenly held his hand up and pointed. “Flashlights,” he said simply. Taehyun looked at Beomgyu with confusion, but then he looked over and saw sitting on a stump in the middle of the path were five flashlights. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Woah!” Hueningkai exclaimed as he ran over and picked one up. He turned it on and off. “They work! Beomgyu, how’d you know they were here?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Beomgyu just smiled and shrugged. “I guess I have some tricks up my sleeve,” he said as he approached the stump and picked up his own.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Seems like you were the one that conjured them up to me,” Yeonjun said as he nudged Beomgyu’s arm playfully. “Guess you’re pretty magical.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Beomgyu just chuckled and shyly waved them all off, but soon they were exploring with the mysterious flashlights in hand. It was a forest again. Taehyun couldn’t help but feel unnerved, but Yeonjun, Hueningkai, and Beomgyu walked with such confidence. He felt confident because of them, felt safe because of them, but he glanced at Soobin at his side and wondered if anyone else was feeling a little scared, too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    The unknown hadn’t been kind to them before.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    He opened his eyes to the feeling of his phone buzzing right next to his head. He was laying on his bed, he’d finally fallen asleep for a few hours. Of course he’d dreamt about that magical experience at their school; the experience he still had so many questions about. The forest under the pool, the giant door on fire, the strange things they could see in their school. What did it all mean? Was it preparing them for something?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He picked up his phone, brushing his hair out of his eyes to look at it. Yeonjun was texting them in their group chat to get together and go visit Soobin. He had been quiet lately, they had all noticed, and they wanted to visit him and cheer him up. Taehyun quickly texted that he was totally in and he’d buy snacks on the way there. He worried about Soobin. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He rubbed his arm as he set his phone aside and he let out a sigh. He was going to be in a good mood for Soobin today, and all the boys. He’d liven them all up! He’d smile and hug them. Yes, it would all be fine. He wasn’t going to let that suffocating feeling take him away from the importance of his friends.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    But he wished they could see that part of him. That sometimes it was hard for him to understand all of what had happened to them. Sometimes he had dreams where he was alone in that burning forest with no way out. But no one ever saw him suffocating. Maybe that’s just the way life was sometimes. You had to handle things alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   The thing was, he was mostly happy! There were just moments, sad moments. Lonely moments. But he didn’t know how to tell anyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Well,” he muttered as he got to his feet and changed into some clothes to go out in. “I’ll be alright as long as I’m with them, I’m sure.” that suffocating loneliness wasn’t going to take him away from his best friends. The ones that had been through everything together.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He knew that much.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   So, he got ready and shook off that dream. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled. Then he heard knocking at his door and he knew Beomgyu had to be waiting for him. They lived near each other, so it wasn’t a far walk. He grabbed his wallet, shoving it into his back pocket, and ran out to greet him at the door. They smiled at each other and exchanged a friendly greeting before chatting about their day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Everything’s gonna be alright with Soobin,” Beomgyu insisted. Taehyun looked at him with his head tilted, curious to know why he was so sure. Beomgyu looked at him with his usual smile. “We always take care of each other. He’ll see that, and we’ll be fine. That’s how I know.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Taehyun smiled back and nodded. “Right,” he said. “But sometimes...do you ever worry that there’s something deeper to his behavior? We’ve been through a lot the past couple of years.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “You’re right,” Beomgyu agreed. “But there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together, right? I mean, look at us! We made it off that Magic Island, we’ve seen crazy things we can’t explain in our school. We’ve seen so many things that make no sense. We have magic in us. I think it makes sense that we would have hard times. But...without this mysterious power in us, and the things we’ve been through, maybe we wouldn’t have each other. I wouldn’t want that life.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Taehyun glanced down as they walked, and he agreed. He agreed that life would be horrible without his best friends, but also...what were they going to do if they were changed by all of these events in a negative way? Like the suffocating anxiety he felt sometimes, especially when he thought about the next adventure that might be more dangerous than the last one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Don’t you think so, Taehyun?” Beomgyu asked. “You’re quiet, too. I mean, more than what’s normal for you.” he smiled a bit, but he looked unsure. “Are you unhappy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I’m not really unhappy,” Taehyun said. “I don’t know. I just have a lot of thoughts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Thoughts you want to talk about?” he asked gently. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Taehyun wasn’t sure, but at that moment Yeonjun and Hueningkai joined them. He smiled at them, because he was happy to see them, but he didn’t want to bring them down with his own thoughts. They were going to cheer up Soobin, and he wasn’t going to be the one to ruin the occasion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Are we ready? Yeonjun asked as he looked at them. Hueningkai had his arm linked with Beomgyu’s already, but Beomgyu kept looking at Taehyun. He mouthed ‘are you okay?’ to which Taehyun just nodded and smiled in his calm way. He knew this could be talked about later. Surely this time of gathering would be good for them, refreshing, and no danger could possibly be hiding in Soobin’s house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He would worry about these heavy thoughts later.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hueningkai</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>-Hueningkai-</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    Hueningkai could be easily described as a jokester, or as someone who smiled all the time, and brought smiles to others. He was happy about this, and he honestly was a very light hearted person. He was happy to be around his friends and make them laugh with his jokes, and he was grateful that even though his friends were older than him that they enjoyed having him at their side.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    He always wanted to make sure he could keep up with them. They were smart, they were talented, they were brave. Hueningkai wanted to be just like them as he got older, but most importantly he never wanted to lose them. He knew he would be in high school longer than his friends. Yeonjun would graduate soon, so would Soobin, and then Beomgyu and Taehyun wouldn’t be far behind. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    He was afraid of being left behind, but he hoped in his heart that they would still include him in what they did. They were bonded by magic, after all, and they had been through so much together. What would he be without that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    He bounced a little as he sat down on a bench outside of school, waiting for the others to join him. He smiled a little at students that passed by, some friends and some people he just knew from other classes. A couple students stopped in front of him, one boy waving with a smile.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “What’re you doing?” the student asked. “Do you want to come with us? We’re going to karaoke! It’s Minhee’s birthday.” he gestured to a taller boy standing behind him, who was grinning and wearing a birthday hat. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Oh, no thanks! I’m waiting for my friends,” Hueningkai responded with his usual smile. “But you guys should have fun!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   The boys shrugged and kept walking, but Hueningkai heard what they said even as they began walking out of earshot. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Why does he always hang out with those older kids? He’s too weird for them, isn’t he?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “They’re cool seniors, he doesn’t really fit. Well, he’ll figure it out one day.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    Hueningkai looked over to watch the group of students leave, and then he sighed and looked down at the sidewalk. He always had those thoughts- if he really fit in or not. They always treated him like he did, like they were really brothers, but he wondered sometimes. Would they eventually just move forward and leave him behind? Because of their age distance? Because they had different goals to achieve? The only one close in age to him was Taehyun, but even he was a few months older.<br/></span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “No, they won't leave me,” he muttered. They were bonded by the magical events that kept happening to them, and he had to believe that meant something. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Hueningkai!” Beomgyu was waving his arms as he ran over to him. He couldn’t help but smile at him and he stood to his feet as Beomgyu ran over and slapped him playfully on the back, and then the others finally approached behind him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Did we keep you waiting long? Soobin had to clean the classroom today,” Yeonjun said as he nudged Soobin’s arm. “He took his sweet time.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “I didn’t!” Soobin whined, but then he just smiled and ruffled Hueningkai’s hair. “Come on. Let’s go.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Hueningkai always clinged to moments like these. Taehyun took hold of his arm and smiled at him and the group walked together. These moments dispelled all fear of them leaving him behind, he knew they would always be close. They would always be his big brothers, and he wasn’t going to lose them. They had many more adventures left to take.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>     Or, that’s what he wanted. That was what he believed in his heart, but things seemed so different lately. As it was, the five of them were sitting on Soobin’s couch and playing video games, but...this usually very rowdy event didn’t have the same sort of energy. Even Hueningkai couldn’t seem to make Soobin laugh like he normally did. There was an uneasy tension in the room, and Hueningkai wanted to break that feeling, but he wasn’t even sure why it was like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     “Maybe we should eat!” Hueningkai suggested as he hopped up and ran towards the kitchen. Beomgyu nodded in agreement and followed, and soon the rest were in the kitchen as well. Food could cure any ailment, even any sadness! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “We bought strawberries,” Taehyun said as he grabbed the bowl which was filled with them. “I already washed them.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai quickly grabbed some and began to eat, but he noticed there was still hesitation on Soobin’s part. He was smiling, but he wasn’t himself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai wanted to talk to him, but then he felt something hit his chest and he looked down to see a red stain from a strawberry in the middle of his shirt. He looked up and saw Yeonjun with two handfuls of strawberries and a mischievous grin on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Come on! Food fight!” he exclaimed as he threw some more. Hueningkai held his bowl of strawberries close, but he laughed and dodged the berries that were now being thrown around the room. All of them were laughing, and the laughter sounded so nice, but something still felt strange.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Then Hueningkai slipped on a strawberry, falling to the floor and crawling over to lean against the cupboards to peacefully eat his strawberries. He continued to laugh as he watched Yeonjun chase Beomgyu around the couch with the strawberries and causing a horrible mess, but that seemed to trigger a strange memory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Hueningkai opened his eyes and saw all four of his friends looking down at him. They all had red cuts on their faces and hands, and he was frightened by the fear he saw in their eyes. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Oh, thank god, he’s okay,” Taehyun said as he put a hand to his chest. Beomgyu reached out to pat Hueningkai’s shoulder, seeming to be relieved as well. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “What happened?” Hueningkai asked as he sat up and looked around the forest where they had rested, the forest which they had seen burn. Why was it fine now? Where was the train?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “We...don’t know,” Soobin said as he put a hand on Hueningkai’s shoulder. “I don’t know what we did to cause such a horrible thing.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Everyone’s hurt,” Hueningkai said softly as he looked at them. He felt tears in his eyes, but he couldn’t help it. He wanted to go home. “What are we going to do? What if it happens again?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “We have to find a way out,” Yeonjun said. “Come on.” he held out his hand to Hueningkai, and he saw a white bandage was covering his palm, and there was blood on it. He was too afraid to take Yeonjun’s hand. He was afraid of hurting his friend.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Suddenly reality set back in and he closed his eyes and covered his ears. It was suddenly too loud in this room, too chaotic, and he couldn’t get the fear out of his heart that had been instilled by that memory being brought up from the recesses of his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    They had partied like this on that Magic Island before everything fell apart. They had the sparklers, the bonfire, and they had danced and laughed. It had been fun! It was an adventure. Hueningkai remembered falling asleep and feeling so safe with his friends, but then he’d woken up to that nightmare. The train that ran them over...but it wasn’t really a train. It was just a sound; the loudest sound in the world. It hurt, like a cutting wind, until they had all collapsed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He didn’t want that to happen again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He jumped to his feet and looked around the room. Suddenly everything seemed to have stopped. Yeonjun wasn’t throwing things anymore, he was staring down at his red stained hands, and Soobin was just staring at him from across the room. He could hear Taehyun shouting from the bedroom, where Beomgyu had chased him during their game, but a moment later he walked out and just rubbed his arms as if he was afraid. Beomgyu looked a little shell shocked when he walked out as well, and suddenly it seemed like everything was just wrong. With all of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Stop,” Hueningkai said, but without the level of authority he’d wished he had in his tone. “We need to stop.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Let’s just help clean up,” Beomgyu suggested as he patted Taehyun’s shoulder. Hueningkai couldn’t help but notice that Taehyun seemed to shy away from Beomgyu’s touch. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Everything’s fine,” Soobin said as he picked up a squashed strawberry from the floor. He looked at it for a long moment, then he shook his head and just walked out of the house. It looked as if he needed some air, or something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Soobin!?” Hueningkai called, and then he looked at the others. Yeonjun was sitting on the counter, and he seemed to be stuck in his own thoughts. Beomgyu was awkwardly trying to talk to Yeonjun, while also trying to scrub some of the mess out of the wall. Taehyun was just staring off into space. What had happened? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    It felt as though they were all...broken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Hueningkai decided to talk to the rest of them later and just pursued Soobin. He hurried out into the night air, and he couldn’t believe how long they had been at the house. Their parents were probably worried by now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “What’s wrong?” Hueningkai asked as he sat down next to Soobin on the cool grass of his front yard. “We came here to make you feel better, but it looks like you’re feeling worse. And...I think we’re all feeling worse.” he rubbed his arm and looked down at the grass. “Why...why do we feel so bad? We’ve had so many good things happen to us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Soobin looked up at him, then he shook his head a bit. “I can’t get the ringing out of my ears,” he said in his deep voice. “It just sticks with me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Ringing?” Hueningkai tilted his head. He didn’t understand what that meant. “You hear ringing in your ears? Why? Was it because of that...that weird loud sound…? On the Magic Island.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Soobin shrugged. “It happened before then,” he admitted. “I think...I just have to figure things out for a while.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Why does that sound like you don’t want us to be there with you?” Hueningkai asked as he looked up to meet Soobin’s eyes. Soobin was one of Hueningkai’s favorite people, he wasn’t allowed to just...leave them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “You can’t understand,” Soobin said. “I have to deal with this, you know?” then he flopped backwards and laid on the grass, looking up at the stars. “Even if...I wanted you to understand, even if I told you every fear in my heart and everything I’m dealing with...that would just be a burden for you, and it wouldn’t...fix anything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Then what? What am I supposed to do? Watch you suffer?” he asked. “I think we’re all suffering from something. It just...don’t you feel the tension? Don’t you feel the uncertainty? It’s not the same. We’re not the same.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Soobin looked over at Hueningkai. He didn’t answer for a long time, he just sighed and closed his eyes and laid there in the grass. “Go check on the others,” he said. “We’ll talk more later. I’m okay for now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai wasn’t sure how he was supposed to deal with this, but he just got to his feet and headed back into the house. He couldn’t force Soobin to tell him what he felt inside his heart, but he could tell something was wrong and he didn’t know how to cope with that and with his own thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    How was he going to lighten the hearts of his friends? He felt like that was what he was best at, and he couldn’t even do that right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    How were they going to get through this hard time if they couldn’t even figure out how to communicate with each other? He hadn’t even known the others were suffering until this moment. And he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with that information, except now he was worried that the Magic Island had broken them in a way that might be very difficult to repair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    He hated to admit it, but he was afraid. For himself, for his friends, and for their future.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone reading &lt;3 I feel a bit strange leaving notes, but I'm very grateful to you all for taking time to read my work. I hope you'll stay with me until the end, and beyond!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Beomgyu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>-Beomgyu-</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Beomgyu had known he was magical for a very long time, probably since he was a little kid. He just had a sense for it, but he had no idea what any of it meant. He just knew there was something inside him that was a little different than the average kid, and he knew he wasn’t supposed to talk about it. His parents told him it would be best for him to not mention it around others, for his own safety, but he wished he had someone who could understand this part of him. Even his parents didn’t understand.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>      That’s why he was so grateful when he got to move to Seoul for his high school education. It meant leaving home and living alone, but he was okay with that because he felt like there was something bigger for him in Seoul, and he felt that maybe, just maybe, he could finally figure out where he belonged.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>     He still remembered the first day of his classes, and how stressful and strange it had been. He felt shy about not knowing anyone, and most of the people in his class had known each other from being in previous middle schools and such. He felt so heavy when he sat outside to eat a snack he had packed for himself, and he was homesick, but that’s when a strange boy sat down next to him and smiled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Hi,” he held out his hand. “I’m Hueningkai. You’re new, right? You’re in the class above mine.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Beomgyu tilted his head, but he just smiled a bit and nodded. He shook his hand. “Mhm,” he said. “Choi Beomgyu.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Cool! Oh, wow, you kind of belong in our friend group,” Hueningkai laughed. “I have two best friends with the family name Choi! You belong with us.” he jumped to his feet and then started waving towards a group of boys that were walking towards them. Beomgyu leaned over to look at them, and he was surprised at these handsome Seoul boys. Did this young boy really think he belonged in this crowd?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    “Guys! This is the new guy,” Hueningkai gestured to Beomgyu, who stood now and gave a polite bow to the new boys. “Choi Beomgyu.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Aha,” Soobin smiled politely and nodded. “I’m Choi Soobin. It’s nice to meet you. Where are you from?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Huh? Oh, Daegu,” Beomgyu said with a small smile. The first thing he noticed was that these boys had something magical about them, too. Maybe he really did belong here. Maybe.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Awesome,” Yeonjun smiled. “Choi Yeonjun. I guess we have to be the Choi friends now.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “Kang Taehyun,” the last boy said with a small bow. “I’m in Hueningkai’s class. Yeonjun and Soobin are senior and almost senior.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   “But you’re all the way from Daegu, huh? We need to show you around,” Soobin nodded. “I mean, we’re all from all over the place, but I guess we’re all here together now. If you feel comfortable coming with us, that is.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    Somehow Beomgyu did feel completely comfortable with this group of boys. He didn’t understand why, most people he was rather uncertain about, but he just smiled and nodded to them. He wanted to go with them, he wanted to see the city more. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>    He felt like he belonged here.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>     “Goodnight!” he called out as he hurried from Soobin’s house and down the sidewalk. He didn’t want to linger there anymore, it just felt too ominous to be there, and he felt he had done something that couldn’t be reversed. How could he forgive himself? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    He pulled the hood of his grey hoodie up over his dark hair and walked fast. It was dark, really he probably should have just spent the night at Soobin’s home instead of walking all the way back to his own place, but he just couldn’t bear the stay there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   The memory of what had happened kept flashing back in his mind in such a violently vivid way; he’d been laughing and chasing Taehyun around, they were jumping on the bed and just throwing fruit at each other. Then...Boom!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Beomgyu had been struck in the face, a complete accident of course, but it had triggered a response from him that he couldn’t understand. He’d tackled Taehyun to the bed, and covered him with the bed’s comforter, holding him down there until Taehyun had begun to scream. Only his cry had snapped Beomgyu out of it, causing him to leap backwards, falling off the bed entirely, and when he had caught Taehyun’s gaze...he saw the fear in his eyes, and he knew he’d been the cause of that fear. He’d just tried to suffocate one of his best friends.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   How could he ever forgive himself for reacting that way? Why had he reacted that way? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   That had never happened before, they always goofed off together and sometimes slapped or pushed each other, but it was never violent. It was never…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “It was like I couldn’t see him anymore,” Beomgyu muttered as he looked down at his hands. “It was as if he wasn’t Taehyun, and I had to defend myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Beomgyu shuddered and stuffed his hands into his pockets and kept walking. He had felt on edge sometimes after the events at the Magic Island, he had honestly felt like he was responsible for what had happened. For being careless with that sacred place, and using fire and sparklers...maybe it had been all too much. Maybe they had disrespected the magic there and that’s why they had gotten hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Maybe that’s why they were all suffering now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   He finally reached the apartment where he lived, and he hurried up the stairs until he came to his door. He unlocked it easily and walked inside. He sighed with relief when the door was closed, and then kicked off his shoes. He took two steps into the house and then crumpled to the floor. He was tired, and he was sad and scared. He’d hurt Taehyun, and he never wanted to hurt his friends again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “We gotta get to the bottom of this,” he whispered as he laid there on the floor. “Or, we’re never going to fix this.” he closed his eyes and sighed softly. He knew he’d have to call Yeonjun, or Soobin, or someone in the morning. The longer they kept silent about what was going on, the more it was going to eat away at them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     It took a few minutes, but he finally pulled himself to his feet and wandered into his room. He changed out of his clothes and into his pajamas and finally flopped down on his bed. He had a feeling he was going to have nightmares tonight- the magic inside of him was just restless. He wondered if the others felt this way, too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    For now he was just going to close his eyes, and hopefully sleep. He just wanted to forget how this day had been. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Soobin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>-Soobin-</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>          <em> Soobin watched the flames of their bonfire as they all sat around it after a night of playing and laughing together. The sparklers had died out, they were too tired to play anymore games or explore anymore of this mysterious forest, and now they just wanted to sleep. As it was, Hueningkai was already asleep, his head resting on Beomgyu’s knee.  </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     Soobin turned his head sharply as he heard a loud ringing noise in his ears. He felt like there was something in this forest trying to get their attention, and it frightened him.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     “Yeonjun?” he noticed his older friend looking around, too. “Do you hear something?” he asked softly. He didn’t want to frighten Beomgyu or Taehyun, who were happily chatting. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “Huh? Oh,” he shook his head. “No.” but he kept glancing over his shoulder, anyway.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    Soobin frowned a little, and then the ringing came again. He rubbed at his ears and kept looking around. The younger boys didn’t seem to hear it, but he was positive there was something trying to get his attention. He hated the sound, and it had been bothering him since they had arrived. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     “Wait,” Yeonjun finally got to his feet and looked around nervously. Then without another word he ran forward. The rest all quickly rose to their feet, because they could sense the urgency in Yeonjun’s tone. Soobin had a feeling that something was wrong, too, but he didn’t have the revelation of what it was until Yeonjun brought their attention to the fire all around them. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     “We’re trapped!” Taehyun exclaimed as he looked around and followed Yeonjun as he ran forward. He was looking for an escape route, but he stopped in his tracks. They were surrounded. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “Did we do this!?” Beomgyu exclaimed. “Was this because of the sparklers? The fire?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “We have to get out! Soobin! How do we get out!?” Hueningkai asked in a nervous tone as he looked to his older friends for a sign of hope. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    The fire was closing in fast. Soobin yelled as he saw a burning branch fall at Taehyun’s feet, quickly grabbing him and yanking him back away from the danger. Panic was rising in all of them, and none of this made sense. There was no way out! Their paths were blocked and they were slowly being cornered into this small area they had made their campsite. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     Then they felt something strange. Soobin looked down at his feet and saw the train tracks, the rails of that magical train that had brought them to this Magic Island. His brow furrowed and he looked up at Yeonjun who was standing further along the tracks. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “Yeonjun,” Soobin called out to him. “Do you feel that? It’s…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “A train’s coming,” Yeonjun interrupted.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    They all stood on the tracks, or near them, and watched with uncertainty as what appeared to be the lights of a train got closer and closer.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>   Soobin felt the need to move, to run, to get away from this scene, but he couldn’t move. And even if he could, where could he go? The fire was getting closer, and closer. But then a strong wind kicked up, causing the flames to lurch and dance around them. The wind was followed by the horn which announced the incoming train, but somehow...they still couldn’t move. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “Yeonjun! Beomgyu, Taehyun! Hyuka! Move!” Soobin shouted into the wind, but the words were slapped right back at him and no one could hear. Perhaps the magic of this place was keeping them firmly rooted. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    Then that strange, overwhelming pain and noise. He screamed, he tried to find his friends in the midst of that chaos, but he couldn’t find them. His left ear was in so much pain, he felt like it was going to burst. He felt like he was going to die. Why didn’t he protect his friends? He should have worked harder to find a way for them to get home, instead of staying in this unknown place. He felt responsible for them.  </em>
</p><p>~~~~</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     He woke to the sound of thunder, and the feeling of rain against his skin. His head was leaning against one of the rails of the train track, and he had collapsed to the ground. He felt something on the side of his face and he touched his cheek, and then looked at his hand.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “Blood,” he whispered. His ear was bleeding, the one that had felt so painful. It still hurt now, but...what was more important to him was the fact that all of his friends were collapsed on the forest floor.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    Well, almost all. Yeonjun was getting up to his feet now, but he had an awful cut on his hand and a few on his face. He looked weak and shaken, and Soobin had a feeling that he looked just as bad.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>    “Yeonjun!” he called out to him. His voice came out much weaker than he expected, but Yeonjun looked over at him and sighed with relief. “We have to wake the others.”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     Yeonjun nodded with agreement and the two of them worked quickly to wake Taehyun, Beomgyu, and lastly Hueningkai. They had all survived, but they were still in this forest and the weather had turned. And now they knew very well that it was too dangerous to be here. Maybe they weren’t strong enough to be here, or were too careless to be here.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     “Soobin,” Taehyun looked at him with a sadness in his eyes. “How do we get home?”  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>     Soobin wished he had all the answers for his friends, but he was scared too, and he didn’t know what to do. Yeonjun was good at taking charge, and indeed he did, and somehow they got home. He couldn’t remember much more of that day. All he really remembered was fear and pain.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>     </p><p> </p><p>     He woke with a start and pressed his hand to his left ear, wincing as though he was experiencing pain. Sometimes his left ear just hurt so badly, but when he’d gone to the doctor about it he claimed there wasn’t anything wrong with his ear. Soobin wasn’t sure how that could be possible, considering his ear had even bled on that Magic Island, but he couldn’t explain that to a doctor. They’d have him committed for being crazy, or something.</p><p> </p><p>   He sighed softly and sat up on his bed. His hair was sticking every which way, and he looked exhausted even still. He felt bad about his conversation with Hueningkai, and he felt like all he had done last night was worry his friends. The whole night had been weird, but he just wasn’t sure what to do. </p><p> </p><p>    He got up and walked down from his room into the living room and was shocked to see Yeonjun and Taehyun still there cleaning up the mess that had been made by their food fight. </p><p> </p><p>   “You’re still up?” Soobin asked. “You should have slept-!”</p><p> </p><p>   “I started the food fight, I gotta finish it,” Yeonjun said simply as he leaned against the mop he was using to clean the kitchen floor. “You sleep okay?”</p><p> </p><p>   Taehyun was washing dishes in the sink, but he turned and smiled at Soobin. “We wanted to go out and get breakfast, whenever you’re feeling up to it,” he said. He glanced at Yeonjun. “Beomgyu still isn’t answering my texts.” he looked down.</p><p> </p><p>   “What’s wrong with Beomgyu?” Soobin asked. “Where’s Hyuka?” </p><p> </p><p>   Yeonjun gestured over to the couch, where Hueningkai was fast asleep still. Soobin couldn’t help but smile a little, and he walked over and gently ruffled his young friend’s hair. Hueningkai stirred and then opened his eyes a little, and then all the way once he realized who had woken him.</p><p> </p><p>    “Soobin!” he sat up. “Are you feeling okay? I was...worried. How are your ears?” </p><p> </p><p>    “Your ears?” Yeonjun asked. Taehyun glanced at Yeonjun, and then looked over at Hueningkai. “What’s wrong with your ears?”</p><p> </p><p>   “Nothing,” Soobin said quickly, but he could tell by the look on Yeonjun’s face that he wasn’t going to take that for an answer. “Fine. I’ll explain it at breakfast. For now...where’s Beomgyu?”</p><p> </p><p>   “He left last night,” Yeonjun said as he looked at Taehyun. </p><p> </p><p>   “Why? What happened?” Soobin questioned. He wasn’t sure why they weren’t being honest with him, but maybe they had a lot more secrets from each other than he ever thought. </p><p> </p><p>    Taehyun just shook his head and looked at the stack of plates he had just dried. “I...can’t really explain it,” he said softly. “I know he didn’t mean anything by it, but he...covered my head with a blanket. It felt like he was trying to suffocate me.” he quickly looked down at the floor, and shook his head as though he was trying to get rid of the memory. “I know he didn’t mean it. Something happened. I...I think we’re all still having nightmares about that day.” he looked up at Soobin. “About the Magic Island.” </p><p> </p><p>   Soobin looked at Taehyun, and then looked at Yeonjun. They hadn’t talked much about the Magic Island, but maybe Taehyun was right. It still stuck with all of them, and they were still affected by it. </p><p> </p><p>     “We need to go get Beomgyu for breakfast,” Hueningkai suggested, quickly cutting the growing tension. “We can talk about it on a full stomach, right? We need to talk about it.” </p><p> </p><p>    “Right,” Yeonjun smiled. “We’re gonna talk about it, then.” he looked around. “I think we’ve cleaned as much as we can. I’m sorry, Soobin. Your family can blame us, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>    “I didn’t stop you, so I’m to blame, too,” Soobin smiled. “And I played along just as much.” he turned to look back at his room. “I better go and...get dressed. Then breakfast.” </p><p> </p><p>   As he walked back to his room he considered that this talk might be just what they all needed. If they knew what they were up against, surely they could stand strong together against all of it. </p><p> </p><p>    He just really wanted to feel hopeful again, and didn’t want to hide his feelings anymore.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>-Together-</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>     Soobin led the group as they made their way to Beomgyu’s apartment. He kept looking at Taehyun and saw that he looked nervous, so he wondered if he was really okay about all of this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Are you going to be okay?” Soobin asked. “If you’re afraid, I don’t want to force you to do something that might traumatize you more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “No,” Taehyun shook his head. “Beomgyu wasn’t himself. I know he’d never do anything to hurt me.” he hesitated, and then sighed. “Maybe the magic inside of us isn’t always good, you know? Maybe it can make us do bad things, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “I don’t think it’s the magic that’s bad,” Yeonjun said as he walked up the steps to the apartment building. “I think it’s because we’ve all been through a nightmare, and we haven’t coped with it, yet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “How are we going to do that?” Hueningkai asked. “We can’t just forget, can we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “No, but we can stand together,” Soobin agreed as he followed Yeonjun. “We need to be open and honest with each other. But we can’t do that without Beomgyu.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai nodded and hurried to follow them up the stairs. He was very happy with the idea of being open and honest with all of his friends, even about the hard times. He always felt like it was important, but he had been afraid to speak too much and bother his friends. Now he didn’t feel that way. It was a relief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    The group stood in front of the door and rang the doorbell, waiting for a few minutes before the door opened and Beomgyu peeked out at them. He looked as though he hadn’t slept well, and he looked guilty as he stood there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Beomgyu, can we come in?” Soobin asked with a small smile. “We all need to talk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “If it’s about what happened last night-” Beomgyu started. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “It is and it isn’t,” Yeonjun said. “Are you going to let us in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Beomgyu hesitated for a moment, then he sighed and finally stepped back and opened the door all the way to allow his friends to walk in. The group converged on the couch in the small sitting room, but Beomgyu sat in a separate chair. He looked as if he was on trial for something, and he couldn’t look at any of them for longer than a moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I think we’ve all been badly affected by what happened on the Magic Island,” Yeonjun said after a moment of silence. “I keep having bad flashbacks, Soobin’s ears are ringing apparently, and Taehyun says he’s dealing with a lot of anxiety, and Hueningkai...he has bad memories, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Beomgyu looked up at Yeonjun, then at his other friends for a moment before looking back down at the floor. “I...I have an unsettling...feeling inside myself, too,” he said. “It’s like all the magic inside me is unhappy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “What happened?” Taehyun spoke up. “Last night, I mean.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Beomgyu shifted uncomfortably, but he sighed softly. “I don’t know,” he said. “Sometimes I have this weird panic if I feel...cornered, or in danger. When we were jumping on that bed, you hit me. I know it was an accident, but I had no control over what happened. It’s like...my body just reacts when something happens without me knowing it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Sounds like PTSD,” Yeonjun said with a sigh as he scratched his head. “I think we all have that. I think the magic on that Island really screwed with us, you know? And maybe it messed up our own magic a little, too. Our...whole connection is messed up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “But I’m so sorry, Taehyun,” Beomgyu said with the utmost sincerity. “I didn’t know you guys would even come here. I thought...I thought I really messed up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “You think we would leave you because of an accident?” Taehyun asked. “I accept your apology, but you didn’t have to apologize. I knew it wasn’t you.” he got up from the couch and walked over to Beomgyu, wrapping his arms around him in a comforting, warm hug. “But we need to work this out, or we’ll get worse, and maybe we won’t be able to fix things if they get even worse.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Beomgyu hugged him back tightly, sighing happily. He was so relieved that Taehyun had forgiven him for the strange reaction he’d had. He knew they could work this all out together. He sat back from the hug and looked at the others, all who seemed pretty happy to see the reconciliation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “But...Soobin, even if we’re all suffering, it feels like you’ve been suffering the longest,” Beomgyu asked as he rubbed his eyes. “Why are you so sad all the time?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Soobin looked surprised to have the conversation fall on him again, and he sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Well,” he said. He rubbed his left ear, the one that always hurt and the one where he could hear the ringing. “On the Magic Island, I heard a weird ringing sound before that...that train showed up and ran us over. But the ringing got worse when that...weird magic train hit us and the wind...and...my ear was bleeding after that, remember? But the doctor said nothing was wrong with my ear. I still don’t know...why it does this, maybe it’s because of the magic we have in us, but it haunts me. Sometimes I get scared that something awful like that will happen again, and I won’t be able to protect you all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Yeonjun looked over, and put his arm across Soobin’s shoulders. “How come you never told me that?” he asked. “I’m mad at you for not telling me.” he didn’t appear to actually be mad, he was mostly pouting. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “I didn’t want to bother anyone with it,” Soobin said as he leaned away from Yeonjun’s pout. “Taehyun’s the only person I told. We just had a talk one day and it came up. But, um...yeah, no one else knew. Ah, except I told Hyuka about it yesterday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Hueningkai smiled a little. “There must be something we can do to help your ear,” he said. “Maybe it’s anxiety that makes you hear that sound? I don’t really know how it works. We still don’t know so much about our magic, we just know that it’s apart of us. I think we need to try to learn more, and with that will come confidence for our future, to be able to protect ourselves.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    “Not a bad idea,” Beomgyu said. “I’ve always been comfortable with my magic, but...I’ve never been controlled by it before. I think maybe I just need to be stronger, but...I don’t think I can do that on my own. I need all of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Taehyun smiled softly and nodded. “We’re a brotherhood, right? We need each other,” he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Group hug!” Hueningkai suddenly demanded as he jumped up and grabbed Beomgyu’s hand and dragged him over to the couch where they all piled on top of each other in a random assortment of hugs and laughter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    This was the most they had felt like themselves in a very long time, and they considered that perhaps during this talk they had come to terms with the battle they had ahead for themselves, but they knew they were together, and now all of their secrets had come out. All of their secret fears and uncertainties and struggles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Well,” Yeonjun muttered. “Now we know what we’re up against, at least.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “We just need to speak up when we’re having a hard time,” Soobin agreed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “And we need to eat breakfast,” Hueningkai added with his usual grin. “Come on. Aren’t you hungry? I’m hungry after all of this talk.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Of course you are,” Taehyun teased lightly as he pinched Hueningkai’s cheek playfully. “But we should eat. I don’t think any of us has even had a good meal since lunch yesterday. We didn’t eat anything last night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Good plan,” Beomgyu stood to his feet. “Let me get dressed and brush my teeth, and we can go.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Soobin stood up and nodded, and then looked back at all of his friends. He couldn’t believe he took so much time just keeping his burdens to himself. He still wasn’t totally comfortable with telling them all of his worries, but he knew now that they all suffered the same issues in different ways. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    They needed each other, and they were the only ones who understood what they had been through. They were the only ones who had these memories, and they couldn’t exactly tell other people about what they had experienced, because no one would believe them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Soobin smiled as he looked at his friends. He couldn’t help it. “Thank you,” he said after a moment. “Thank you all for being my friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, and then rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “Are you being sentimental?” he asked. “You don’t have to thank me. I dunno where I’d be without you, Soobin.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Same here!” Hueningkai exclaimed as he raised his hand, the usual smile on his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “You’re, like, the leader of our friend group. You always look out for us and take care of us. You brought us together,” Taehyun said. “It’s an honor to be your friend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Beomgyu stepped out of his bathroom while still brushing his teeth, giving a thumbs up in response to all the conversation going on. He wanted Soobin to know how happy he was to be apart of their friend group. He never knew he’d be so lucky to find friends like them in Seoul. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Soobin felt like his heart was so full. In this moment, he knew they would survive all of their hardships because they had each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   “Come on,” Soobin said once Beomgyu had joined them sans the toothbrush. “Let’s go eat lots of breakfast. I’m paying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   They all cheered and patted Soobin’s back at the announcement that he was going to pay for their meal, and the group marched out of the apartment feeling much lighter than they had even a day before. They weren’t through their struggles yet, but they had made progress and were going to keep making progress as long as they had each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   That much he knew for certain. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for following my work this far! I really enjoyed writing this and I'm glad I got to share it. Yes, there will be a follow up story, but right now it's in the works, so make sure you keep an eye out for the second part of this story! Thanks again for the positive feedback.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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